By C. Radhakrishnan
Every day we come across usages such as good teacher, outstanding teacher, etc… I always think what difference these usages make. Finally, I found an answer and feel to share with you.
Good Teachers:
The features that make a good teacher are:
Mastering teaching skills: - It is important for a good teacher to:
1) task-motivate their student
2) merge the classroom
3) assess previous knowledge of the students
4) communicate ideas clearly and effectively
5) take into account the distinctiveness of the learners (individualised)
6) assess learners outcomes
7) review information
Good teaching can be taught. It has to be observed and practiced, but there are principles of good teaching that teachers should know. These can then be applied in the classroom.
Major components of Good teaching are:
1. Knowledge of the subject and teaching resources
2. Critical thinking and problem solving skills
3. Knowledge of students and their learning
4. Teaching and communication skills
Outstanding Teachers:
Certain actions of the good teachers distinguish them from others and make them outstanding. One of these actions is called ‘intentionality’. It means doing things for a reason, or on purpose. ‘Intentional teachers’ are those who are always thinking about the results that they want for their scholars. They think about how each decision they make moves their learners towards this result. They recognise that being a good teacher and teaching a lot to a student does not happen by chance. They regularly ask themselves:
1) What objectives they and their scholars are trying to achieve?
2) Whether each section of their lesson is suitable to the students’ knowledge, skills and needs?
3) Whether each activity or assignment is clearly related to a valued result?
4) Whether each instructional moment is used wisely and well?
An intentional teacher uses a wide variety of methods, experiences, assignments and materials to be sure that their students are achieving all sorts of cognitive goals. Along the way a teacher will make sure that a student is learning knowledge, creativity, application of knowledge, and affective goals such as love of learning, respect for others and personal responsibility. The way that a teacher can become an outstanding teacher is related to ‘teacher competence’. Teacher competence is a teacher thinking that he or she is making a difference, and is at the heart of what it means to be an intentional teacher. Now it’s up to us to decide whether we should be labelled as ‘Good Teachers’ or ‘Outstanding Teachers’.
If you have any addition/suggestion/amendment to it, please let me know.
Happy Learning & Teaching!
